Last Word

Pictured: General Qasem SoleimaniMatthew Bannister on Iranian General Qasem Soleimani, who was killed by an American drone strike. We try to uncover the motivation of the man who spread Iran's military influence throughout the Middle East. M.C. Beaton who wrote more than 250 books which sold in their millions, including romantic fiction and murder mysteries featuring PC Hamish Macbeth and Agatha Raisin. George Laurer, the American engineer who played a pivotal role in the invention of the barcode.Dr. Sidney Holt, the biologist credited with saving the blue whale from extinction.Interviewed guest: Kasra Naji Interviewed guest: Mike Ripley Interviewed guest: Chris Stokel-Walker Interviewed guest: Vassili PapastavrouProducer: Neil GeorgeArchive clips from: Profile, Radio 4 08/03/2015; TV Eye, Thames TV 1979; September 11 Attacks, CNN 07/09/2011; President Trump on Soleimani, The Telegraph 05/01/2020; Soleimani on Trump, MEMRI TV 30/07/2018; Soleimani’s funeral, The Sun 06/01/2020; Front Row, Radio 4 16/08/2010; The Chocolate Debutante by MC Beaton, read by Patience Tomlinson, Hachette Audio UK 2019; Hamish Macbeth, BBC Four 23/03/2008; Agatha Raisin and the Quiche of Death by MC Beaton, read by Penelope Keith, Chivers Audiobooks 05/07/2012; Woman’s Hour, Radio 4 10/12/2014; George Laurer: CSCMP Supply Chain Hall of Fame, CSCMPTube 02/10/2017; Sidney Holt: In His Own Words, Stephen Best May 2010; Britain's Whale Hunters: The Untold Story, BBC Four 27/10/2016; Newsnight, BBC Two 07/04/2000; Today, Radio 4 29/05/1995; Front Row, Radio 4 10/04/2006.

Pictured: Neil InnesMatthew Bannister onNeil Innes, the talented musician who was a member of the Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band, worked with Monty Python and satirised the Beatles. Roger McGough and Michael Palin pay tribute.Steve Sawyer, the Greenpeace activist who helped to evacuate the Pacific Islanders of the Rongelap Atoll after they were affected by nuclear testing. Sheila Mercier, the actress best known for playing Annie Sugden in the TV soap Emmerdale. Alasdair Gray, the Scottish novelist and painter who created the acclaimed novel Lanark.Interviewed guest: Roger McGough Interviewed guest: Michael Palin Interviewed guest: Brian Fitzgerald Interviewed guest: Anthony Hayward Interviewed guest: Jean Rogers Interviewed guest: Frazer Hines Interviewed guest: Alan RiachProducer: Paula McGinleyArchive clips from: Chain Reaction, Radio 4 20/04/2016; Innes Own World, Radio 4 Extra 29/06/2018; All You Need is Cash, directed by Eric Idle and Gary Weis, Broadway Video 22/03/1978; The Reunion, Radio 4 14/09/2003; Rainbow Warrior's Rongelap Voyage, 25/06/2015, Pacific Media Centre; Breakfast Time, Radio 4 10/07/1985; Open To Question, Radio 4 15/10/1985; 1800 News Bulletin, Radio 4 26/08/1997; Emmerdale, ITV 31/10/1972; Emmerdale, ITV 16/07/1973; Emmerdale, ITV 19/05/1988; The Late Show: Alasdair Gray, BBC Two 18/10/1993; Artworks Scotland: Alasdair Gray, BBC 2S 14/11/2004; Alasdair Gray at Eighty, BBC 2S 27/12/2014; Reporting Scotland 2018: Alasdair Gray, 05/04/2018.

Julian Worricker on:The journalist, Andrew Graham-Yooll OBE, who risked his life to tell the story of the so-called 'disappeared' in Argentina in the 1970s.The writer Andrea Newman, best known for 'Bouquet of Barbed Wire', the sexually charged family drama that pushed the boundaries of television.Ornithologist and conservationist, Peter Davis, who dedicated much of his working life to saving the red kite.And Olly Croft OBE who founded the British Darts Organisation, and is credited with making the sport more popular and more professional.Producer: Paula McGinley

Pictured: Kenny Lynch OBEMatthew Bannister onChris Moncrieff, the journalist who covered parliament for the Press Association for more than 50 years. He even has a bar named after him in the House of Commons.Kate Figes, the writer who captured the nuances of human relationships in books like "Couples" and "Our Cheating Hearts".Branko Lustig, the holocaust survivor who won an Oscar as the producer of the film Schindler's List.Kenny Lynch, the singer from London's East End who described himself as a black cockney and had hits including "Up On The Roof".Interviewed guest: Pete Clifton Interviewed guest: Lennie Goodings Contributor: Michael Goldfarb Interviewed guest: Garth CartwrightProducer: Neil GeorgeArchive clips from: Labour Party Conference, BBC Sound Archive 01/10/1993; Loose Ends, Radio 4 20/09/2008; Thatcher Resigns as Prime Minister, The Telegraph Archive 08/04/2013; Backstage In Parliament, Radio 4 10/11/1985; Woman’s Hour, Radio 4 22/01/2013; Woman’s Hour, Radio 4 11/05/2013; Gladiator, directed by Ridley Scott, Dreamworks/Universal Pictures/Scott Free Productions 2000; Branko Lustig: Drawing Against Oblivion, Final Frame 22/03/2019; Schindler’s List, directed by Steven Spielberg, Universal Pictures/Amblin Entertainment 1993; Branko: Return to Auschwitz, The New York Times 15/04/2013; Jools Holland, Radio 2 28/10/2013.

Pictured: David BellamyMatthew Bannister onDavid Bellamy, the botanist who became a household name through his popular TV programmes, but fell from prominence after describing man-made global warming as "poppycock".Nell Gifford, who founded and ran a circus company known for its retro styling and creativity.Yasuhiro Nakasone, the Japanese Prime Minister who formed a strong bond with US President Ronald Reagan and UK Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. Mariss Jansons, the Latvian-born conductor noted for his interpretation of Mahler and Strauss.Interviewed guest: David Shreeve Interviewed guest: Chris Baines Interviewed guest: Cal McCrystal Interviewed guest: Dr Christopher Hood Interviewed guest: Norman LebrechtProducer: Neil GeorgeArchive clips from: Desert Island Discs, Radio 4 01/01/1978; Profile, Radio 4 16/09/1983; Torrey Canyon and the Toxic Tides, Radio 4 18/03/2017; Today, Radio 4 12/12/2019; Backyard Safari, BBC One 09/07/1981; Bard on the Box, BBC Two 23/10/1994; Midweek, Radio 4 08/06/2011; Nell Gifford: Behind the Curtain, directed by Gem Hall, July 2019; The World Tonight, Radio 4 11/06/1984; Nippon: Risen Sun, BBC Two 09/12/1990; Reagan/Nakasone arrival ceremony, Ronald Reagan Presidential Library, 30/04/1987; Mariss Jansons interviewed by Norman Lebrecht, Radio 3 29/08/2007.

Pictured: Bob WillisMatthew Bannister onBob Willis, the former England cricket captain, who was seen as one of the finest fast bowlers of his generation. Gary Rhodes, the spiky-haired TV chef who won Michelin stars for his re-invention of classic British recipes.Shuping Wang, the Chinese doctor who lost her job and her marriage after blowing the whistle on a trade in blood products that was spreading HIV through Henan province. Sir Stephen Cleobury, the musical director of King's College Cambridge for thirty-seven years. He commissioned a new carol every year for the Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols.Interviewed guest: Jonathan Agnew MBE Interviewed guest: Fiona Pitcher Interviewed guest: Thane Prince Interviewed guest: Sir Michael Boyd Interviewed guest: The Reverend Dr Stephen Cherry Interviewed guest: Peter LindsayProducer: Neil GeorgeArchive clips from: Today, Radio 4 05/12/2019; Test Match Special, 5 Live 04/12/2019; Rhodes Around Britain, BBC Two 08/06/1995, 25/05/1995, 05/07/1994, 07/06/1994; Top of the Class, Radio 4 18/08/2008; Great British Food Revival, BBC Two 17/11/2011; Woman’s Hour, Radio 4 19/09/2019; CD Review, Radio 3 25/12/2004.

Pictured: Jonathan MillerMatthew Bannister onSir Jonathan Miller, who hated the term polymath - but undoubtedly was one. He came to fame in the satirical revue Beyond the Fringe, was a celebrated opera and theatre director and sometimes regretted his decision not to concentrate on his first calling as a doctor.Field Marshal Lord Bramall, the Chief of the Defence Staff who saw action in the D Day landings, predicted the threat of terrorism and was wrongly accused of sexual abuse late in his life.Clive James, whose memorable turns of phrase made TV criticism an art form. He presented programmes dissecting TV from around the world, but was also a literary critic, essayist and poet who wrote acclaimed memoirs. Interviewed guest: William Miller Interviewed guest: Kate Bassett Interviewed guest: Lieutenant Colonel Jan-Dirk von Merveldt Interviewed guest: Lieutenant-General Sir Peter Royson Duffell KCB CBE MC Interviewed guest: Russell DaviesProducer: Neil GeorgeArchive clips from: Saturday Night Clive, BBC TV 11/11/1989; The Tingle Factor, Radio 4 Extra 02/08/2016; Desert Island Discs, Radio 4 23/01/2005; Arena, BBC Two 31/03/2012; The Complete Beyond the Fringe, Parlophone Records Ltd 21/10/1996; The Body in Question, BBC TV 06/11/1978; D-Day: The Last Heroes, BBC One 08/06/2019; Today, Radio 4 06/06/1994; The Report: Lord Bramall, Radio 4 04/02/2016; Desert Island Discs, Radio 4 16/06/2000; A Point of View, Radio 4 26/04/2009; The Clive James TV Show, ITV 1996; Front Row, Radio 4 03/04/2015.

Pictured: Vladimir BukovskyMatthew Bannister onThe Russian dissident Vladimir Bukovsky, a long term opponent of the Soviet regime who revealed the use of psychiatric hospitals as political prisons.Alison Prince, the children's writer who scripted Trumpton.Keith Schellenberg, the eccentric millionaire who was a bobsleigh champion and keen powerboat racer. He bought the Scottish Isle of Eigg - and was accused of treating his tenants badly.Robert Ponsonby, the BBC Controller of Music who ran the Proms and faced a strike by musicians in the Corporation's orchestras.Interviewed guest: Alyona Kojevnikov Interviewed guest: Julia Eccleshare Interviewed guest: Ray Bulman Interviewed guest: Camille Dressler Interviewed guest: Professor David Hendy Interviewed guest: Peter Donohoe CBE Reader: Ian ConninghamProducer: Neil GeorgeArchive clips from: Vladimir Bukovsky interviewed by Bernard Levin, BBC Sound Archive 26/04/1980; Soviet Propaganda Film 1972, Periscope Film 17/08/2014; PM, Radio 4 04/01/1977; Watch with Mother: Joe and a Horse, BBC One 03/10/1966; Trumpton, BBC One, 03/01/1967; Spud by Alison Prince, Young Corgi, 07/08/2003; Jackanory, BBC One 1965; Radio Scotland News, 09/02/2006; Upfront, BBC Scotland 03/02/1994; Music Now, Radio 3 29/11/1974; Radio 3 continuity announcement, BBC Sound Archive 23/11/1978.

Pictured: Nik PowellMatthew Bannister onJames Le Mesurier, the former British Army Officer who set up the organisation that trained the White Helmet volunteers who rescue people from bomb sites in Syria.Nik Powell, the businessman who helped Richard Branson to start Virgin Records and went on to produce a string of acclaimed British films. Frank Dobson, the Labour M.P. who became Health Secretary under Tony Blair and embarked on an ambitious hospital building programme. Hazel Vincent Wallace, who founded the Thorndike Theatre at Leatherhead in Surrey, which became known as one of the finest venues outside London.Interviewed guest: Stephen Woolley Interviewed guest: Jon Wardle Interviewed guest: Julia Langdon Interviewed guest: Michael GauntProducer: Neil GeorgeArchive clips from: PM, Radio 4 13/11/2014; Today, Radio 4 12/11/2019; The White Helmets, directed by Orlando von Einsiedel, Grain Media / Violet Films 2016; PM, Radio 4 11/11/2019; Masterclass with Nik Powell, Australian Film Television and Radio School 22/03/2017; The Evil Dead, directed by Sam Raimi, Renaissance Pictures 1981; The Company of Wolves, directed by Neil Jordan, Incorporated Television Company / Palace Pictures 1984; The Film Programme, Radio 4 01/09/2013; Who Wants to be a London Mayor? Carlton/ITV 25/04/2000; The World Tonight, Radio 4 02/06/1995; Labour Party Conference, BBC Sound Archives, 30/09/1997; Theatre and Stage Stars, Huntley Film Archives 26/01/2015; Sybil Thorndike Theatre, British Pathé 1969; Thorndike Theatre, British Movietone / AP 09/22/1969; Theatrical Balance Of Payments, Radio 3 01/12/1968.

Pictured: Gay ByrneMatthew Bannister onGay Byrne, the Irish TV and radio presenter who occupied a unique place in the nation's culture and public life. He presented the Late Late Show for thirty-seven years, often causing controversy when he covered changing social issues.Sadako Ogata, the Japanese academic who served as UN High Commissioner for Refugees in the 1990s. She was noted for her fearless approach and for putting the refugee crisis on the political map. The current Commissioner recalls his time working with her. And the Hollywood producer Robert Evans, who was behind classic films like The Godfather, Love Story and Chinatown, but was almost as well known for his colourful private life as his on-screen hits. The actor and director Simon McBurney pays tribute.Interviewed guest: Joe Duffy Interviewed guest: Jurek Martin OBE Interviewed guest: Filippo Grandi Interviewed guest: Angie Errigo Interviewed guest: Simon McBurney OBEProducer: Neil GeorgeArchive clips from: Gay Byrne RTE tribute, RTE News 04/11/2019; The Gay Byrne Show, RTE Radio 1 14/06/1996; The Late Late Show RTE One 01/02/1966; The Meaning of Life, RTE One October 2010; The Meaning of Life, RTE One February 2015; The World Tonight, Radio 4 14/07/1993; Special Report on the Rwandan Genocide, SABC 1994; Sadako Ogata Expresses the Need to Prevent Future Genocide, AP Archive 21/07/2015; BBC News 1991; Today, Radio 4 21/06/1999; 1800 News Bulletin, Radio 4 02/08/1994; Brian Linehan's City Lights: Robert Evans Interview 1977, Reelin’ In The Years Productions; Man of a Thousand Faces, directed by Joseph Pevney, Universal International Pictures 1957; The Sun Also Rises, directed by Henry King, Twentieth Century Fox 1957; The Godfather, directed by Francis Ford Coppola, Paramount Pictures / Alfran Productions 1972; The Cotton Club, directed by Francis Ford Coppola, Zoetrope Studios / Producers Sales Organization / Totally Independent / Robert Evans Company 1984.